Improvement in universal indexes



UNIVERSAL INDEX fd land ummm@ Win eaves. fm'errior.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN L. POWELL, OF NEW OAS'ILE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN UNIVERSAL INDEXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,593, dated May 8,1866; antedated May 1, 1866.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. POWELL, of New Castle, Henry county, Stateof Indiana, have invented a new and useful Universal findex; and I dohereby declare the following to be an exact and full descriptionthereof', reference being had to the aceompan yin g drawings, and to theletters ot' reference marked thereon, nmaking a part ot' thisspeoioation.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction, arrangement,and eombin ation of movable and independent spring-indexes E, operatingbetween stationary partitions, on each side ot' a plate, against sidewings, J, for the purpose of pointing out any particular name or placeon a register.

A represents a metallic plate or frame, to be suspended by a hook orring, B. On each side, and at the bottom of the plate, there is a grooveor Aflange, O, to answer the purpose of a frame to slide in a registry,D, that may be covered by a glass, to keep the registry elean, if deemednecessary. The registry may be a bill of fare, or time-table, oralmanac, or railway guide con taining various stopping places orintermediate stations between two extremities of the railway, and, infact, any kind of a registry that is required to be noted by an index.

On eaeh side of the grooves C', I have the indexes E E, formed ofpointers of any shape, having springs Gr attached, operating on a rod,H, either spiral or dat, sothat the indexpointers E can be moved backand forward to the name or line of the registry, as shown by the redlines, and the pointer remains stationary, until required to be movedagain back or forward, the spring not only holding the pointer E to itsplace, but making it more convenient and serviceable, as the pointerwould soon become too loose and by Wear not aet so usefully andadvantageously.

On each side of the plate is a projvetion or wing, J, against which thepointers E rest, when either one or more are required to be moved backfrom off the registry.

K K are partitions between eaeh index, to prevent the spiral springsfrom moving up or down or coming in Contact with each other, so thateach index, E, may move independently.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to seeure by Letters `Patent,is-

The construction, arrangement, and combi- 'natiou of the movable andindependent spring MARTIN L. POWELL.

Witnesses:

J. FRANKLIN REIGART, EDM. F. BROWN.

